


Giants and Strangers

by Devonslair



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gods, Multi, Original Story - Freeform, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, mythological fiction, myths
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-01
Updated: 2016-07-01
Packaged: 2018-07-19 09:41:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7355773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Devonslair/pseuds/Devonslair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A halfling spent his life dying for an adventure, but what he got was a lifetime of wrong decisions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Visit of an Old Friend

Sovenn was a young Halfling, running from his own home at a very young age. He’d been a nomad for several years of his life, only settling as he turned twenty-nine. He found it much more comforting to have the solid walls around him, a security he lacked while roaming the land in his past. His home now was small, yet cozy for a single person. The young Halfling loved to tinker with whatever he could possibly get his hands on, making everything easier on his smaller stature.

 

He had just awoken, wandering the small cottage for a moment as he allowed himself to drift back to the state of full attentiveness. Many of the simple objects in his home were made from scrap, aside from the ice box and stove. He’d tried many times to reinvent it, failing each time. He wasn’t one to give in to his own failures, yet he knew that if another attempt ended the same as the previous, the man would lose his home to flame. Sovenn walked up to a closet door, pulling it open to see a mirror hanging on the inside. He frowned at his reflection, his dark amber hair framing his face as it rested against his shoulders. His eyes were heterochromatic, one dark hazel and the other a smoky quartz. He rubbed his face, sighing to himself as his fingertips brushed against the freckled skin and the hair on his chin. His voice was low and raspy as he murmured under his breath.  
“You’re a mess.” He said with a soft sigh, combing his small hands though his hair, “Thank goodness no one will visit today.” Sovenn glanced down to his clothes, his loose cloth covering himself hanging low in the chest. The fabric was torn and tattered, filled with stains and holes.

Quickly, the Halfling shut the door, turning toward his kitchen. As he passed through the threshold, he paused, glancing around the small room. Something felt off to him, something out of place. He couldn’t tell what it was exactly, not even a study of the room helped. He walked over to the counters lining the walls, looking to every object. He murmured the occasional ‘No’ before frowning as he came up to a bowl.  
“And how did you get here,” He asked himself, picking the bowl up. It was damp, freshly washed. “Ah hah……” He sighed, a small smirk tugging at his lips as he returned the bowl to its proper place in the cabinet, turning and glancing around. Someone had been in his home, and he was determined to find who it was.

He made his way through the cottage, elder wood groaning under his feet. He breathed softly as he listened closely, hoping to hear the voice of another. As he walked past the door to his study, he heard the opening and closing of drawer and the creaking of wood under someone’s feet. He paused, letting his hand rest on the door knob. It wasn’t likely they were a threat, why would an intruder use a bowl as well as clean it? He gave a soft sigh, pushing the door open slowly. The door gave a loud squeak as the hinges rubbed together, causing a soft voice to gasp in fear. Sovenn glanced in, hoping to find the source of the feminine gasp.

Once he saw who it was, a small smile turned up his lips, “Adelaide…” He murmured under his breath, taking several steps into the room. An old friend, lost in the time of his adventures. He remembered her fondly, his old, sweet, Adelaide.


	2. Memoirs Never Fade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This starts before chapter one, the chapters often jump around but it, hopefully ends up making sense..

As the youthful Halfling ran from his old home, there was a hop in his gait. The man excited for the new world ahead of him; he’d only known the cold walls of his old cottage with his family, but at the dawn of his sixteenth, he was off. He knew he would learn much more outside the confines of the world he once knew, hid from the danger and excitement that leered in the deep wood. His family had kept secluded, hidden from the world. As a boy, he had snuck out to play in the trees, climbing them, and singing to them, all he could do to try and keep the world in balance as he left his safety even for mere moments. Now, he watched at the trees towered above him, smiling at the soothing comfort of the leaves rustling above. The moist soil below his bare feet calmed him more and more with every step he took.

The woods seemed to go on for eternity, causing a small frown to grow on his face as he halted in front of a large, dark, and thorny tree. He looked it over, feeling a dark energy emitted from the being. He pressed a hand to the tree, quickly pulling away as the bark burned his hand. He gave a small huff as he attempted to round about the tree, quickly being grabbed by the branches and pulled back. The small man gave a cry of pain as the bark singed his arm, blood pooling against the fabric. As he stood once more, trying to stare the tree down a twisted face formed in the skin of the tree. They started down at him, wood snapping as the mouth opened.  
“Who are you Halfling?” They spat, the voice deep and raspy as it spoke. The small man paused as fear took over his face, taken back.  
“I- I am Sovenn......” He murmured, stuttering as the words pooled from his mouth to the air between them. The elder tree glared; bark snarling as they lifted their branches.  
“Well, Sovenn, your kind is not welcome past these woods. Return from whence you came.” The voice was loud, extravagant as they spoke, yet the tree was no longer frightening Sovenn. He frowned, standing his ground as he looked up to the face in the tree.  
“You will not stop me...... I have made it this far and I will get past you.” He said sternly, determined. He knew if he returned home this early he would never have a chance to leave his home, not like this. His parents were still in their youth, they would be there if he returned now. He couldn’t turn away. Suddenly, a twisted grin overtook the elder trees face, causing them to leer down over Sovenn.  
“Might you fancy a wager then, dear Halfling? Or shall you prove your kinds cowardliness by running from a challenge?” The tree could simply assume Sovenn would run, but he was not one to go by the known ways of his kind. He wanted more, he knew there was more out in the world and he wanted all of it. The Halfling sighed, looking up to the face upon the elder tree.  
“I am no coward, there is a reason that I am wandering from my home.” He assured, glaring up at them, “Tell me of your wager and I shall accept it.”  
There was a deep chuckle echoing through Sovenn’s ears before the tree vanished, leaving a young woman in its wake. She wore a dark emerald robe, her hair long with intricate braids streaming down. She walked up to the small Halfling, towering over him. Her face was fair, her dark skin thickly contrasting the bright green irises in her eyes.  
“This should be a much fairer contrast...... Still towering over your puny body yet holding similar features.” The Hamadryad chuckled darkly, “Now...... For my wager…” She stopped for a moment, gently tapping her dark fingers against her chin. Suddenly, a violin and harp appeared in front of her, “Pick one.” She spoke simply, looking down at him. While Sovenn was youthful, he had learned how to play a violin as a child. He took the violin in hand, running the bow over the strings, humming at the harmony from the strings. Sovenn sighed, watching as the woman took the harp, plucking at the strings.  
“So,” Sovenn paused, looking up to her, “What are we using these for?” He asked, leaning against a tree.  
“Isn’t it quite obvious Halfling? We’re going to play, whoever fails gives in to the others demands. So if you win, you get to get past me, but if I win you return to your home and never return.” She smirked, holding a hand to the Halfling, “Do we have a deal?”  
Sovenn gulped, feeling a lump in his throat as he looked to the hand in front of him. Could he really be better than this dryad? She had to have had years to master the technique; he simply had the short time of his life. He took a breath before taking her hand in his own, looking her in the eyes, “You’ve got yourself a deal.” The smirk the dryad gave him was dark and deceitful, she had an obvious plan. As she pulled away, she immediately began to run her dark fingers against the strings, melting into the harmony echoing through the trees as Sovenn pulled the bow against the strings, fingers dancing along the bridge. The dryad paused for a moment as a familiar voice rang though her ears, the small voice of the Halfling. She watched him closely, bewildered. The voice was eerily familiar as the voice danced in her mind, causing her to miss a string. Her hand’s dropped, still focused on the man’s voice, who was still playing.  
“I know that voice,” She mumbled, walking closer to him, “You are the young boy who always came into the forest, you climbed trees and sang to them.” As she spoke, Sovenn stopped, looking up to her.  
“Y- Yes,” He stuttered, letting the violin drop from his shoulder, “I- I am.” The dryad’s face softened as she moved from his path, the violin and harp vanishing.  
“You may pass, but I shall not promise your ability to return safely young one. The world you seek is not kind, for no one will show kindness to one they do not trust.” She spoke calmly now, her face soft and kind. Sovenn nodded shakily, walking past her, quickly turning to say a thank you to find she was gone. He sighed, walking past the edge of the forest, gazing over the vast mountain ranges. His mouth was agape as he took in the beauty surrounding him, taking the first step of his long journey.


	3. A New Friend

As he walked across the soft grass, a massive village came into view. The streets were bustling, children laughing as it seemed this place was in joyous occasion. Sovenn sped down the hill, quickly making his way into the village streets. It was almost as it the world stopped the moment he set foot on the cobble road, the children stopped to stare at him, women simply looked in disgust as men drew their weapons. 

The deep thundering in his chest, rumbling his small body enough to cause it to tremble as the townspeople drew closer to him. The young boys drew wooden swords, their eyes dark and faces as grimacing as the men. He almost choked on the lump in his throats as the town towered over his small figure, weapons drawn. He could have sworn his legs were liquid, but suddenly he felt light. Then the realization came to him, the townspeople were quickly growing distant. He could feel someone holding him tight, long nails digging into his sides. He shuddered; fearing whoever had grabbed him could be as bad as the town. 

He could see them dispersing back to their earlier locations, some children spitting towards him. Suddenly, he onto the ground, an armored figure above him. He couldn’t see an inch of their face, looking up in fear as they began to pull their helmet away. A long black braid tumbled from the metal casing, thumping against their back. He could now see the knights face, glaring down at him.

“How idiotic are you?” She snarled, one hand gripping the hilt of her sheathed sword, “Why would you walk into a damned town without second thought?!” While her questions were rhetorical, Sovenn still attempted to answer; yet his words were simply murmurs. She glared down to him, silent. He began to push up from the soft ground, immediately feeling pressure on his chest as her metal foot pressed her down.

“Stay down, unless you plan on digging a long sword out of your chest after you’re dead.” She snarled, pulling the sword from its sheath. His breath hitched at she put it against his neck.

The Halfling felt chills roll over his body as the cold metal pressed against his neck, cutting through a layer of soft skin. He managed to look her in the eyes, wonder filling his own. She said nothing as she pulled away, putting the back to its place and holding her hand to him. He gave a soft sigh, taking her hand and pulling himself from the soft ground.

Once he stood, her height was much more prominent. She crossed her arms, giving a small shake of her head, “Well kid, what’s your name?” She asked calmly, her voice still quite loud.

“It’s Sovenn.” He muttered, looking down. Why she scared him was obvious to him, he was always taught to cower among those who towered above him. It was not an easy idea to try to do anything but that. Although he sighed and looked up and allowing his eyes to meet hers.

“Sovenn I'm, a Halfling.” He murmured. No matter what he tried, he still could merely quiver at her height. He’d only talked with two normal sized beings at this point; nowhere near enough time to grow used to it. The woman sighed, holding her hand to him. 

“My name is Adelaide.” The woman was surprised as Sovenn took her hand, shaking it. While his face held a shaky stern look, his hands gave away his real emotion; clammy, fearful, if he were honest, he was quivering in his boots.


End file.
